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Kinetik tailors assessment services to meet specific needs. We offer a full range of services, including multidisciplinary assessments, functional capacity evaluations (FCE) and disability assessments, as well as permanent impairment ratings and independent medical evaluations (IME). The goal is to identify physical, psychological and/or emotional factors affecting individual recovery.
Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)
Multidisciplinary Assessment
Our multidisciplinary assessment is a valuable tool, particularly when an injured individual has not returned to a previous job or level of function. It can objectively determine an individual's current work/activity capacity, investigate barriers impeding recovery and make clear recommendations for further rehabilitation, when appropriate. Based on the needs of the individual client and insurer, the in-depth process may involve the skills of several rehabilitation professionals.
– A rehabilitation co-ordinator reviews the history of the injury, including any management to date and current effects.
– A physical therapist works with the individual to assess his or her physical status.
– A physiatrist (specialist in rehabilitation medicine) identifies medical problems that may be contributing to difficulties and causing further barriers to recovery.
– An occupational therapist assesses the individual's ability to return to his or her former job as well as other activities of daily living.
– A Ph.D. clinical psychologist evaluates the effects of the injury on the individual's work, as well as family or other relationships.
The team comes together to discuss findings and determine recommendations. These recommendations specifically address client and insurer questions and issues.
Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE)
Functional Capacity Evaluations help determine an individual's ability to perform work. The evaluation is an effective tool in determining whether an individual has the necessary physical capacity to return to a specific job or whether other vocational avenues need to be explored. When an individual's rehabilitation has not progressed as well as expected, the FCE can answer important questions, including alternative treatment options, likely outcomes following appropriate treatment and current level of work capability.
The FCE team consists of a rehabilitation co-ordinator, physical therapist and occupational therapist. The rehabilitation co-ordinator reviews the file and works with the insurer to clearly define the purpose of the assessment. A physical therapist screens the client to ensure it is safe to undergo the assessment.
An occupational or physical therapist specializing in FCEs administers a standardized test to assess the client's maximum functional capacity in terms of dynamic strength, position tolerance, mobility, co-ordination, hand dexterity, balance and endurance. The test is designed to provide an objective assessment of individual capacity in each area. In practical terms, the FCE is determining how much and how hard the individual can work, and whether the client's capacity matches the demands of their former job.
The length of the FCE can be tailored to individual needs. Kinetik may administer the full test or only those sections that apply to the individual or specific job. For example, a client with an injury to the right hand may only undergo an assessment of that quadrant. The process can take anywhere from 3.5 hours to 1.5 days. Following the test, Kinetik provides a report of the clients' overall functional capacity, as well as their capacity for individual tasks in each area.
Disability Assessments
When an individual is left with permanent change to his or her work or life capacity due to injury or altered health status and will not be able to return to a previous level of function, a Disability Assessment can identify what the individual is capable of doing, at what level and for how long of a work day.
Disability Assessments are designed to determine whether an individual is restricted or lacks the ability to perform certain tasks, within the range considered normal for his or her circumstances.
Setting Objectives
Because Disability
Assessments are both significant and time consuming, careful preparation is
needed. A rehabilitation co-ordinator works with the referring party to ensure
the objectives of the assessment are clearly stated. An individual's functional
ability is tested for different levels, such as the ability to safely perform
original work, modified work or alternative work.
It is important for the referring party to provide Kinetik with as much past medical and rehabilitation history as possible. The more information we have, the better prepared we are to complete the assessment to everyone's satisfaction.
Case-by-Case Assessment
Kinetik approaches
each assessment on an individual basis. Depending on the specific needs of each
client, the multidisciplinary team may include occupational therapists, medical
specialists (physiatrist, plastic surgeon or family medicine specialist), physical
therapists and clinical psychologists.
Reporting
A report outlining
objective levels of impairment is developed. It addresses each objective separately
and quotes actual, objective measures where appropriate. The reports are accurate,
concise and practical.